How to Give a Home Hand Massage
The muscles of your hands are some of the most frequently used parts of your body. Massage releases tension caused by frequent strain and stimulates blood flow to the area. According to Lucinda Lidell, Carola Beresford Cooke, Anthony Porter and Sara Thomas, authors of "The Book of Massage," the hands also contain several pressure points that relieve tension on other areas of the body. Giving a hand massage is not a difficult process; learning requires only a delicate touch and a half-hour of spare time.
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Instructions
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Ask the massage recipient to lie down on a bed, resting her arm on a pillow at her side. According to Steve Capellini and Michel Van Welden, authors of "Massage for Dummies," this allows the muscles and tendons of the arm and hand to relax.
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Apply a dime-size drop of massage oil to your own hands. This minimizes friction when giving the hand massage.
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Begin by massaging the recipient's forearm, starting with the elbow and working down. Grasp the arm with both hands, and work your thumbs in small, soft circles over the large muscle groups. After repeating the small, circular motions over the entire arm, stroke your fingers up and down between the elbow and wrist. End by focusing on the wrist before moving to the hand.
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Knead the recipient's palm with your thumbs, pressing lightly as before. Focus especially on the meaty areas near his thumb.
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Work your way up to the recipient's fingers. Grasp a finger between your thumb, index finger and middle finger. Slowly work your fingers back and forth, massaging down to the fingernail. Repeat this step with each finger, finishing with the thumb.
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Stroke your thumbs from the base of the recipient's palm to just below her fingers.
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Turn the hand over, and begin lightly rubbing the back of the hand. This area is often tender, so do not massage too vigorously.
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Run your fingers lightly over the entire palm to relax the muscles and end the massage on the first hand. Repeat the process on the other hand.
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Tips & Warnings
According to Barbara Kunz and Kevin Kunz, authors of "Hand Reflexology," you should always maintain skin-to-skin contact when massaging. Never lift both your hands from the recipient's body.
References
- Photo Credit hands image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
